North South Trader Civil War Collector's Price Guide 10th Edition

The North South Trader Civil War Collector's Price Guide is the reference Civil War collectors and relic hunters reach for when something comes out of the ground and nobody can name it. Compiled by the editorial staff behind North South Trader's Civil War magazine, it is built around identification detail: the small pattern differences that separate a common button from a scarce one, and a reproduction from the real thing.

What It Covers

• Weapons and accoutrements: swords, muskets, bayonets, pistols, and leather gear
• Uniforms and insignia: field gear, hats, coats, and rank markings
• Buttons, buckles and plates: state seal buttons, belt plates, and box plates
• Paper and personal items: soldiers' letters, diaries, documents, and encampment relics

Where It Earns Its Place

Most of the value here is in the identification work rather than the numbers. Buttons and plates are where the guide is strongest, because those are the items where a variation you can barely see decides whether a find is worth ten dollars or a thousand. If you have dug a Civil War eagle button or a CSA belt buckle, this is the book that tells you which one you are holding.

This is the 10th edition, so its figures reflect the market as it stood when the edition was compiled. Collectors generally use a guide of this vintage the way it works best: identification first, and the prices as relative rankings that show which items in a category carry the premium. For a current dollar figure on a specific piece, a recent auction result will serve you better than any printed guide.

For Relic Hunters

If you are recovering these items rather than buying them, the categories in this guide map closely to what comes out of camp and battlefield sites. Small brass targets sit shallow and damage easily, so a pinpointer is worth more to a relic hunter than almost any other accessory, and the machines best suited to iron-heavy historical ground are in our metal detectors collection.

Book Details

• Title: The Civil War Collector's Price Guide
• Publisher: North South Trader's Civil War
• Edition: 10th edition, 30th Anniversary printing
• Cover price: $34.95
• SKU: B375

Why Buy from Serious Detecting

Serious Detecting is run by detectorists, so if you are trying to work out what you have dug you can call and talk it through with someone who has pulled similar items out of the ground. Free shipping, a 30 day return policy and our price match apply across the store. Browse the rest of our metal detecting books and reference material, or the shovels, diggers and picks that do the recovery work.